Perspectives for quantum interference with biomolecules and biomolecular clusters

Author(s)
Philipp Geyer, Ugur Sezer, Jonas Rodewald, Lukas Mairhofer, Nadine Dörre, Philipp Haslinger, Sandra Eibenberger, Christian Brand, Markus Arndt
Abstract

Modern quantum optics encompasses a wide field of phenomena that are either related to the discrete quantum nature of light, the quantum wave nature of matter or light–matter interactions. We here discuss new perspectives for quantum optics with biological nanoparticles. We focus in particular on the prospects of matter-wave interferometry with amino acids, nucleotides, polypeptides or DNA strands. We motivate the challenge of preparing these objects in a 'biomimetic' environment and argue that hydrated molecular beam sources are promising tools for quantum-assisted metrology. The method exploits the high sensitivity of matter-wave interference fringes to dephasing and shifts in the presence of external perturbations to access and determine molecular properties

Organisation(s)
Quantum Optics, Quantum Nanophysics and Quantum Information
Journal
Physica Scripta
Volume
91
No. of pages
12
ISSN
0031-8949
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-8949/91/6/063007
Publication date
05-2016
Peer reviewed
Yes
Austrian Fields of Science 2012
103025 Quantum mechanics
Keywords
ASJC Scopus subject areas
Condensed Matter Physics, Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics, Mathematical Physics
Portal url
https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/en/publications/47bb3c79-98c0-4ce8-9690-9fa2c84584ee